Baby Trend Inertia Infant Car Seat

The Baby Trend Inertia Infant Car Seat, for babies up to 32 pounds and 32 inches, is a great choice for those searching for the perfect infant car seat amongst a dizzying array of choices. Designed with safety and comfort in mind, the Inertia has an innovative controlled motion base. This means that your baby can sit at a greater recline than most car seats, but in the event of a crash, the seat rotates to a more upright, safer position. Essentially, you get the best of both worlds in terms of safety and comfort. And, as a parent, you’ll spend less time pushing floppy heads back into an upright position!

All cars manufactured post September 2002 are required to have LATCH, so most parents should be able to take advantage of the Inertia’s much easier rigid LATCH installation system. In addition, you’ll rest assured that your seat is safely installed since rigid LATCH leaves little room for error. If you don’t have LATCH, you’ll go through a little more trouble to install the seat, but it’s no trickier than other models of car seats.

As one who’s had to lug around her share of infant car seats, I was also excited to try the Inertia’s Delta multi-grip handle. Designed to give you multiple options for carrying the seat, it lets you switch hand positions to keep you from tiring as quickly and makes it easier to navigate tight spaces. The rubber coating provides added comfort while also making the handle slip-proof.

Like some other models currently on the market, the Inertia lets you adjust the harness straps without having to rethread them, which can be an absolute pain. A turn of a knob on the back of the seat is all that’s needed to raise the straps. No more excuses for squeezing my baby into a seat with a harness that’s much too small.

Other pluses include a generous canopy with mesh sides for ventilation and a fold-out visor for added sun protection. For colder climates, a bonus foot muff can be attached.

Now, here’s the full rundown of pros and cons:

PROS:

- 4 recline positions, including one that provides a generous recline for added comfort

- Inertia technology that uses a controlled motion base to rotate your baby into the safest position in the event of an accident and better distribute crash forces

- Rigid LATCH system for easy and safe installation

- Delta multi-grip handle that feels great to hold and gives you options to switch positions if you get tired carrying it in a certain way

- Large canopy with mesh sides for ventilation and a sun visor

- Foot muff included for added warmth – no need for a separate blanket that can fall out

- Handle rotates and locks in 4 different positions, making it easy to carry, rock and position on the ground as a stationary seat

- No rethreading to adjust straps as baby grows – just twist the knob to move the entire headrest up and down

- Relatively lightweight

CONS:

- Latch to release the seat from the base is under the foot of the seat versus behind the head of the seat, making it more difficult to operate when it’s up against the surface of your vehicle’s seat

- Sizable base and greater seat recline may take up more space and leave less room for you to recline your front passenger seat if you have a compact car

- No padding around the shoulder harness or crotch strap to cushion baby’s skin against tight belts

- The two buckle tongues need to be lined up in order to fit into the buckle, which can be tough to do if you have a squirming baby

Overall, the Baby Trend Inertia Infant Car Seat is a great seat that provides both comfort and peace of mind. Learn more about the Inertia Infant Car Seat on the Baby Trend website. Available for purchase Toys ‘R’ Us and Babies ‘R’ Us.

Michelle enjoys reviewing the latest and greatest baby and toddler products to hit the market. With two little ones of her own, she has firsthand, in-depth experience with a wide array of juvenile products as well as ready help from her junior reviewers in testing everything from strollers to toys. Her background in User Research, Engineering and Product Design lend to an appreciation for well-designed products that are solidly constructed and created with the end consumer in mind.